Representation having been made to the lieutenant-governor,
that several of the soldiers had been so thoughtless
as to dispose of the sugar and tobacco which had been
served out to them by their officers since the arrival
of the Britannia, almost as soon as they had
received those articles, and that some artful people
had availed themselves of their indiscretion, in many
instances bartering a bottle of spirits (Cape brandy)
for six times its value, he judged it necessary to
give notice, that any convict detected in exchanging
liquor with the soldiers for any article served out
to them by their officers, would immediately be punished,
and the articles purchased taken away: and further
(now become a most necessary restriction), that any
persons attempting to sell liquor without a licence
might rely on its being seized, and the houses of the
offending parties pulled down.

About the middle of the month all the wheat which
was to be sown on the public account was got in at
and near Toongabbie; the quantity of ground was about
three hundred and eighty acres. The wheat of last
season being now nearly thrashed out, some judgment
was formed of its produce, and it was found to have
averaged between seventeen and eighteen bushels an
acre. A large quantity of wheat was also sown
this season by individuals, amounting to about one
thousand three hundred and eighty-one bushels, every
encouragement having been given to them to sow their
grounds with that grain.

Several houses having been lately broken open, the
criminal court of judicature was assembled on the
15th, when Samuel Wright, a convict who arrived in
1791, was tried for breaking into a hut in the day-time,
and stealing several articles of wearing apparel;
of which offence being found guilty, he received sentence
of death, and was to have been executed on the Monday
following; but the court having recommended him to
mercy on account of his youth, being only sixteen years
of age, the lieutenant-governor as readily forgave
as the court had recommended him; but, that the prisoner
might have all the benefit of so awful a situation,
the change in his fate was not imparted to him until
the very moment when he was about to ascend the ladder
from which he was to be plunged into eternity.
He had appeared since his conviction as if devoid
of feeling; but on receiving this information, he fell
on his knees in an agony of joy and gratitude.
The solemn scene appeared likewise to make a forcible
impression on all his fellow prisoners, who were present.

The weather of this winter having been colder than
any that we had before experienced, great exertions
were made to clothe all the labouring convicts; and
for that purpose the work of the tailors had for some
time been confined to them. Every male convict
received one cloth jacket, two canvas frocks, one
pair of shoes, and one leathern cap. The females
also had been clothed.